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Vitello tonnato
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Vitello tonnato

Veal with tuna sauce

On the hottest days of a Piedmontese summer, and above all for the Ferragosto holiday in mid-August, families set out a platter of cold, thinly sliced veal hidden under a pale, velvety sauce of tuna, anchovy and capers. The combination sounds odd and tastes wonderful: tender, mild meat and a savoury, lemony sauce that is rich without being heavy. This version follows the older Piedmontese style, thickening the sauce with hard-boiled egg yolks and the veal's own poaching broth instead of raw-egg mayonnaise; if you prefer a mayonnaise base, use one made with pasteurised eggs. Serve it as a starter or a summer main with a green salad and bread. A common mistake is slicing the meat while warm; it frays and tears, so chill it first and cut it as thin as you can. Chef's tip: assemble it the evening before; overnight in the fridge, the sauce seeps into the meat and the flavours settle together.

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San Antonio puffy tacos

The puffy taco is San Antonio's own: a ball of fresh corn masa pressed flat and dropped into hot oil, where it puffs into a light, crisp, hollow shell, then shaped into a U and filled with seasoned beef mince, lettuce and tomato. Family-run Tex-Mex restaurants on the West Side have served them since the 1950s, and the city's baseball team even has a puffy taco mascot. Chef's tip: as soon as the dough puffs, press a spatula into the middle to make the fold, before it sets.

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King Ranch chicken

King Ranch chicken is the layered casserole every Texan has eaten at a potluck, baby shower or after a funeral, named, without any proof, after the famous ranch in South Texas. Corn tortillas are layered like lasagne with shredded chicken, peppers, tinned tomatoes with green chiles, a creamy sauce and lots of cheese. This version makes the sauce from scratch instead of tinned soup. Chef's tip: lightly fry or toast the tortillas first so the layers hold up instead of turning to mush.

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Iowa loose meat sandwich

The loose meat sandwich, sometimes called a Maid-Rite after the Iowa chain that started it in Muscatine in 1926, is beef mince simmered until finely crumbled and tender, then piled loose on a soft bun with mustard, pickles and onion. It falls apart as you eat it, so it comes with a spoon. Small-town Iowa cafés have served it at lunch counters for generations. Chef's tip: break the meat up constantly with a potato masher as it cooks; you want fine, even crumbs, not lumps.

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Minnesota tater tot hotdish

In Minnesota, any one-dish bake is a hotdish, and the tater tot version is what turns up at church basement suppers, Lutheran funerals and family reunions all over the state. Seasoned beef mince and vegetables go into a creamy mushroom sauce, the top is covered in neat rows of crisp potato tots, and everything bakes until golden. This version makes the sauce from scratch. Chef's tip: lay the tots in tight, even rows; gaps let steam escape and the tots crisp instead of going soggy.

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St. Louis toasted ravioli

Toasted ravioli was invented on the Hill, St. Louis's old Italian neighbourhood, when, as the story goes, a cook dropped ravioli into hot oil by accident; now 'T-ravs' are on nearly every bar and restaurant menu in the city. Beef-filled ravioli are breaded and fried, not toasted, until crisp, then dusted with grated cheese and dipped in marinara. Chef's tip: chill the breaded ravioli for 20 minutes before frying so the crumb sticks and doesn't fall off in the oil.

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Chicago-style hot dog

A Chicago dog is one of the city's proudest foods, sold from hot dog stands across the city and outside Wrigley Field: an all-beef frankfurter in a steamed poppy seed bun, 'dragged through the garden' with yellow mustard, bright green relish, onion, tomato, a pickle spear, pickled sport peppers and celery salt. Chicagoans have one firm rule: never ketchup. Chef's tip: steam the buns instead of toasting them, so they are soft and warm and hold everything together.

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Chicago Italian beef

Italian beef was born at Italian-American weddings and family stands on Chicago's West Side in the 1930s, when cooks sliced roast beef paper-thin so a little meat could feed a crowd. The slices are soaked in a garlicky, oregano-spiced jus and piled into a crusty roll with hot giardiniera or sweet peppers; order it 'dipped' and the whole sandwich gets a dunk in the jus. Chef's tip: chill the roast overnight before slicing; cold beef slices far thinner, and thinness is everything here.

175 minAmericanMeat
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